Mighty tasty: Waikato offers a bounty of fresh produce, meat and dairy, eggs and fish, fruit and vegetables

Dairy is the kingpin and delicious local ice cream made with local berries is a feature of several spots in Waikato. Photo / Hamilton Waikato Tourism

With land that is highly productive and fertile, the Waikato region is a powerful and proud player in the production of food that's both nourishing and mighty tasty.

Dairy is the kingpin. Waikato farms produce more than 25 per cent of New Zealand's milk, providing pure inspiration for artisan producers making award-winning cheeses, delicious local icecream and even cultured butter, as well as for many chefs in the region who often hero dairy in their dishes.

The Waikato is also a major grower of berries – blueberries and strawberries, in particular – and what would spring/early summer be without the tender spears of asparagus that emerge seasonally from the region's soils, available not only as a bite of green deliciousness, but also in white and purple hues.

Takapoto Estate is a boutique, family-owned winery located on the shores of Lake Karapiro. Photo / Hamilton Waikato Tourism

It's only natural then that the Waikato's eateries and food stores take a farm-to-table approach to food, gravitating towards the bounty of fresh produce, meat and dairy on the doorstep. Increasingly, the emphasis is not only on eating in season, but also choosing organic and free-range.

For mighty locals and visitors to the region this autumn the local and seasonal focus makes for great eating, both when dining out at cafés and eateries, or for dining in after shopping for ingredients to prepare in their own kitchen.

Hamilton East's funky restaurant neighbourhood includes Hayes Common. Located beside the Waikato River, this eatery is the go-to spot for locals – no matter the time of day – and for good reason.

Everything on the table is sourced with locality, ethics and sustainability in mind, from the herbs and vegetables grown in the restaurant's own garden to using free-range eggs and meats, and milk in glass bottles and local line-caught fish.

Hamilton East's funky restaurant neighbourhood includes Hayes Common. Located beside the Waikato River. Photo / Hamilton Waikato Tourism

Hayes Common co-owner Lisa Quarrie says the eatery supports as many local suppliers in the Waikato region as possible – and even trades with the neighbours.

"Quite often we will swap bags of home-grown feijoas or bags of tangelos, lemons or limes for a coffee, and then we'll feature them on our menu."

Drift further along the Waikato River to Palate Restaurant in the heart of Hamilton CBD for another local favourite capturing local product – think tasty truffles, succulent oysters, and fresh snapper caught off Kawhia.

Palate Restaurant owner and head chef Mat McLean says his menus float with the seasons and ever-changing conditions.

Monavale Blueberries is a family-owned and operated orchard that has been growing organic blueberries in Cambridge since 1985. Photo / Hamilton Waikato Tourism

"Things taste better and are fresher, crisper, when straight out of the ground," he says. "You don't manufacture fish – people go out to catch it. If the weather's bad, you don't have it on the menu."

Foodies and adventurous eaters can sit back and experience the 'romance of food' at Palate's iconic kitchen table, where the chefs treat diners to an intimate seven-course degustation.

Food stores across the Waikato such as the Country Providore are also passionate about showcasing talented local producers. Situated on the Strawberry Farm in Tamahere, the Country Providore serves its own fruit icecream and fresh berries alongside a range of other Waikato produce and products such as cheeses, organic meats, honey, and vinaigrettes.

Punnet is among the region's eateries placing a major focus on local and seasonal, including making good use of berries in jams, salads, and other dishes. Photo / Hamilton Waikato Tourism

Store manager Emma Gethen says she appreciates the people and stories behind what she stocks.

"You understand their passion and their drive for what they do, and I love passing that onto customers."

Punnet, the store's restaurant sister next door, is also among the region's eateries placing a major focus on local and seasonal and makes good use of the farm's berries in jams, salads and other dishes.

Foodies keen to taste and buy fresh and local will want to check in regularly at the different community markets and farmers' markets held around the Waikato. Some are monthly while every week there are the farmers' markets in Cambridge (Saturday mornings) and Hamilton (Sunday mornings).

These markets are not only a chance to relish the region's best but also to meet the colourful characters growing and making them.

Of course, opportunities to savour local include beverages produced in the region.
There's locally roasted coffee available at the roasters' own cafés, as well as other eateries, bars and food stores. Amongst the local roast brands to look for are Rocket, Laroma, Manuka Brothers, Weka, Red Cherry, Essenza, Origin and Raglan Roast.

For wine, there are vintages from celebrated winemakers at Takapoto Estate, where the grapes are grown waterfront at Lake Karapiro, and at the fifth-generation family-owned Vilagrad Winery, where the Saturday and Sunday Mediterranean style lunches are legendary.

For mighty locals and visitors the local and seasonal focus makes for great eating, both when dining out, or for dining in after shopping for ingredients. Photo / Hamilton Waikato Tourism

Innovative, interesting and individual about sums up the Waikato's craft beer brewers. Whether the brew of choice is pilsner, pale ale, India pale ale, or even hazy pale ale, or a stout, porter or dark beer, tart or fruity, there's plenty that's locally crafted to sip and enjoy in the region.

The hometown hero of craft beer is Good George Brewing with four bars and eateries in Hamilton (Good George Dining Hall, Good Neighbour, The Cook, The Local Taphouse) as well as one in Cambridge (Good Union), another in Raglan (George's Beach Club) and a further location in Matamata (Merchant of Matamata).

Good George also crafts small batch cocktails and gin, some with catchy names like the Day Off range and Mum's Secret Sauce made with fresh raspberries.

Another Waikato local is Brewaucracy with its brewery and taproom in Te Rapa.

Brewaucracy's 16 different styles include the flagships of a vanilla flavoured English porter and a smoked lager.

Other passionate local microbrewers are Hopnotic and Bootleg Brewery. Both have taprooms where you can sample their beers and ciders and enjoy tasty bites.
Hopnotic is located just north of Hamilton Airport in an old woolshed where past shearers' names are stencilled on the rough sawn wood walls.

Bootleg's brewery and taproom is in nearby Matangi, housed in part of the historic Matangi dairy factory building, the largest dairy factory in the world when it was constructed in 1919.

Hamilton's Craft Bar and the Local Taphouse at SkyCity are also where mighty locals (and visitors) can say bottoms up to locally crafted beer.

Here's cheers to all of the deliciousness that's proudly produced here in the Waikato region.